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Even if you’ve rarely experienced heartburn before, the chances are very high that you will have it quite often during pregnancy. A lot of the changes your body goes through at this time almost guarantee that you will experience heartburn.

The placenta makes a hormone called progesterone during pregnancy that is needed to relax the muscles inside the uterus. But, the valve that divides the stomach from the esophagus is also relaxed and this allows acids to flow back up.

During digestion, the intestines and esophagus are contracting. These contractions are reduced by progesterone which slows down the digestive process. The growing baby crowding the abdomen also causes acids to be pushed back up through the esophagus.

Sometimes just a few changes in your diet can offer heartburn remedies. For example, not eating foods that are seasoned or spicy can help in preventing heartburn. You should also stay away from any food that contains acid, especially products that contain tomatoes and any citrus fruits.

Consuming smaller meals, instead of eating a lot at one sitting has been shown to reduce the chance of heartburn. Alcohol should never be consumed while pregnant for a healthier baby, especially as alcohol causes heartburn as do drinks with caffeine.

Changing the foods that you eat and what you drink can act as natural heartburn remedies. But if you find that changes in diet aren’t enough there’s several over the counter choices for heartburn relief.

Quick relief can be found in chewable antacids which often work very well. The liquid forms of antacids will also work, but the addition of anything to the stomach causes it to make even more digestive acids so the results aren’t guaranteed.

During pregnancy taking antacids that include aluminium isn’t a good idea. Most women are prone to constipation while pregnant and if consumed in large amounts, aluminium leads to constipation and is toxic as well.

Also, when choosing heartburn remedies, never take any that have sodium bicarbonate or aspirin. Most women suffer with swelling during pregnancy and sodium bicarbonate will greatly add to that symptom.

You will need to talk to your doctor about more ways for heartburn relief if nothing you’ve tried seems to help. Keep in mind that all medications do contain drugs and should not be taken more often than the label says.